AMERITRON ALS-600 - ARI-500 Automatic Transceiver Frequency Tracking; Periodic Maintenance

either through the normal key jack on the back of the amplifier, or via the RLY jack on
the ALS-500RC Remote Control Head.
Note: The ALS-500RC power meter double terminates the internal ALS-600 RF power
meter resulting in the ALS-600 RF power meter reading approximately ½-power. As the
ALS-500RC is normally used with a remotely operated ALS-600 amplifier, the amplifier
low meter reading can be ignored.
Refer to the ALS-500RC Instruction Manual for more details on remote operation of the
ALS-600.
ARI-500 Automatic Transceiver Frequency Tracking
The optional ARI-500 Automatic Band Switch is designed to automatically select the
correct frequency range on the ALS-600 by reading the frequency or band data from the
transceiver. The ARI-500 is compatible with most Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood
transceivers, the Elecraft K3 transceiver, and other transceivers with compatible
interfaces. The ARI-500 interfaces to the ALS-600 via the two RJ45 jacks on the front of
the amplifier. Amplifier keying is provided through the low drive current interface of the
ARI-500. The ARI-500 also controls the ALS-600 STANDBY-OPERATE functionality,
automatically switching the amplifier to OPERATE when the transceiver is keyed. LED
indicators on the ARI-500 provide information on connectivity between the ARI-500, the
ALS-600 and your transceiver. The ARI-500 also provides automatic Fault resetting if
desired. Finally, the ARI-500 may be used with or without the ALS-500RC Remote
Control Head, depending on your specific needs.
Note: If the ALS-500RC Remote Control Head is used with the ARI-500, the ARI-500
auto-reset capability is defeated as the ALS-500RC provides manual reset capability.
Refer to the ARI-500 Instruction Manual for more detailed operational details.
Periodic Maintenance
The lack of extremely high voltages in this unit eliminates the chance of dirt and dust
causing high voltage arcing. The only requirement for periodic maintenance is to
monitor the amount of dirt and dust in the amplifier and the power supply. Whenever
there is a noticeable accumulation of dust that may affect cooling, air can be used to
blowout the equipment.
The fan area on the amplifier should be inspected every few months if the amplifier is
operated in a very dusty environment. If there is a large amount of dust on the fan it is
probably a good time to blow the dust out of the amplifier and power supply with
moderate air pressure.
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